uanj

I agree with you, I think the loyalty program is a factor in people's choices. I have never heard anyone say price is not important, schedule is not important, FF program is not important. I only want the best on board service. In fact, for most people, of those four factors on board service will rank third or fourth.

It will be interesting to see if the tie-up with AA helps B6 and to what degree. If I hazard a guess I would say B6 gets some benefit while AA both gains and loses traffic, overall neutral.

This new United procedure reminds me of the old IFL/GFL boarding for international flights. I liked it, I spent a lot less time milling around the gate area. The gate would call ahead to the GFL with advance warning on the boarding time so you never had to wait. If done properly this is a plus. And it is not mandatory by any means, you can stay longer in the lounge if you wish.